Iyengar Yoga With Rachel Lovegrove

“Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos and has long been considered a mystery and incurable. However, over the past two decades, physicians, scientists and researchers have begun to unravel this mystery and help people diagnose mesothelioma in its earlier stages, while providing more extensive forms of treatment, vast resources, and general information to make coping and survival more about optimism rather than uncertainty.”

I was recently contacted by the Mesothelioma organisation, which provides detailed information on mesothelioma and the ways various treatments can improve the lives of patients. They told me that “while mesothelioma remains incurable, patients have found ways to surpass typical life expectancies through innovative treatments. For thousands of years the practice of yoga (and its many variations) has been a respected lifestyle due to its focus on physical and mental wellness. As a complementary therapy, yoga has been used to ease the physical and emotional pain associated with cancer as well as cancer treatments.”

They are dedicated to raising awareness and ultimately finding ways to prevent it from occurring from the start. Visit the Mesothelioma website for information on how researchers are now recommending alternative therapies including yoga to relieve symptoms and treat this rare form of cancer.

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(Article by Rachel first published in Algarve Resident October 2011)

The benefits of a regular yoga practice are wide ranging and extensive and are not limited to the purely physical advantages.  In a nutshell, the practice of yoga works on all levels of the body and mind to bring about overall good health.  Yoga helps everyone in so many ways, from those who need to manage their stress levels or cope with depression, those who are preparing for childbirth or want to improve fertility, to those who are recovering from injuries or illness or who simply want to improve their overall fitness and mobility.

The focus on postures or exercises helps to keep the joints strong and flexible, muscles toned and stretched and bring poise and balance to the body.  This is important at any age but particularly as we get older, we need to keep moving, keep active to improve our chances of a happy and healthy old age. Breathing techniques helps one to harness quietness and stability of mind as well as helping with a wide range of physical ailments such as asthma, bronchitis and circulatory problems.  Yoga also helps with our concentration and memory and gives one a sense of stability of the mind as well as the physical steadiness and strength of the body.

Because yoga works also on the organs of the body, not just the musculo-skeletal system, it also serves as a detox system helping to keep all the processes of the body, digestion, circulation, hormonal balance, liver function etc, healthy and functioning normally.

When you begin yoga, you may experience it as merely a physical exercise as you stretch your body and learn the yoga postures.  As you continue with your practice (a regular class once or twice a week is recommended), you will find that you also start to experience a greater sense of well being as your whole body, inner and outer, is toned and nourished.  Each yoga posture has a particular emphasis and effect on the body and an experienced and trained teacher will be able to advise you on specific programmes to help with ailments such as neck or back problems, sports injuries, insomnia, hormonal or digestive disorders and many other issues.  Under the guidance of an experienced teacher, those with drug or alcohol problems, depression or anxiety can also be helped by regular yoga practice.

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul, create the symphony of life.”  BKS Iyengar

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